Heritage
by Comidia Del Arte
Summary: It's strange to grow up with a deeply rooted hatred for at least one of your parents, well not for Alva. All her suffering is caused by an ancient bloodline, trailing from her father. The man who left her family, caused Alva's mother an endless amount of agony and heartbreak. Puck has a choice, teach her a trade, or turn Alva over to the man that she intends to kill. Puck/OC
1. Golden Eyes and Stage Magic

Being the servant of man like David Xanatos was hardly ever boring. Except for nights like this one, nights where Xanatos had to show his face in public to the people he donated his money to. On this night Owen Burnet accompanied his boss to a local theater to watch a rendition of William Shakespeare's famous play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Owen did enjoy this play; he had seen it many times in his life. But he loathed the thought of mediocre actors portraying the characters in a poor fashion. Why Puck had seen the works of Shakespeare when they had been in their prime. When Shakespeare himself performed in them from time to time, those had been the days, Puck thought.

Mr. Xanatos was of course was greeted by both the director and producer of the production. The two men were led to the best seats in the theater. Mr. Blake, the producer stuck around to chat with Mr. Xanatos while the director, Mrs. Riordan took off to converse with the crew, who could be heard clunking around backstage. The theater was not exactly clean, it was average, and it was very old as well. One could almost catch a whiff of cigarette smoke from the late 60's when it had been built. Of course things had been added on here and there. Mr. Xanatos donated money to keep the theater from being condemned and also paid for a brand new light and sound system.

Owen spaced slightly as Mr. Blake explained the brand new system set up on the tech. board. His eye wandered about the theater, taking in the designs, everything. The doors backstage opened, letting in some light from what could only be the dressing rooms. A young woman ran out on stage, half in street clothes, and the rest in costume. She ran around the stage for about 5 minutes until she found what she was looking for. Snatching it up into her hand, she was about to run backstage. The director took notice of her. "Alva! Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be getting dressed?"

The woman turned and waved what looked like an ear cap around "Missing ear cap!"

The director seemed puzzled. "But your ears are already pointed, you don't need them!"

Alva shrugged and replied. "It's Nina's it came off during the last scene with her and Jake."

Mrs. Riordan nodded, and let the woman leave. Owen studied this Alva person; noticing the tattoos that ran down her arms, most of the body art consisted of the usual flora and fauna. Her hair fell to the middle of her back and was an inky black. In the light is looked like an oil spill, changing color in the stage lights, making it look inhuman and surreal. She was tall, but not overly tall. Just average, her skin was fair, slightly washed out by the stage lights. As if sensing his stare, the woman paused just before she disappeared through the curtains. Owen continued to stare; her eyes were almost liquid gold. He could have sworn he had seen those eyes before; the temperament seemed so strangely familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it.

Alva studied him, cocking her head to the side. A small smile brightened her features, and with a lazy salute to Owen, she ran back to the confines of the dressing rooms. Owen blinked and allowed his mind to fall back into listening to the producer ramble on about what Xanatos' money had brought the theater.

About 20 minutes later, the doors opened, and a large audience poured into the theater, people in red vests showed some of the people to their seats, directing the human traffic and what not. After 5 minutes of white noise and endless chattering, the house lights went out. And the stage lights went up. The play opened well. The actors were good, believable and seemed to understand fully what the lines they spoke meant. Owen listened, allowing the poetic rhythm of Shakespeare transport him, his eyes fell shut and he felt relaxed. But they opened when he could hear the cue coming for Act 2 Scene 1. Puck's first scene, he was eager to see who would portray him. The stage lights came down as Act 2 began.

Suddenly they focused in the middle aisle. Two people came running down the aisle. One a fairy and the other Owen could only assume was the portrayal of himself. He stared as they moved about the theater. Laughing and playing like the fey folk were thought to. The fairy ran for the stage and sat down, blushing and flirtatious. Puck came running at her, Owen's eyes widened as he took in a familiar tattoo pattern on the arms of the actor. His mouth opened. He, Puck was being portrayed by a woman! Well that was one way to burst someone bubble.

The actress laughed and pulled a flip over the fairy. Giving her peck on the nose, landing with grace on the stage she turned and adopted a self centered attitude. _"How now spirit? Whither wander you?"_

Her voice had deepened, powerful. But it had an undertone that the real trickster instantly grew fond of. The Fairy stood and walked over acting dismissive, as if she were talking of the weather. The two bantered back and forth, gossiping. Owen was enchanted by the young actress. She was amazing; throughout her entire role she showed her skills in both her acting and her movement. She was performing back flips. Every single move looked like it was dancing to a beat that she could only hear. With every laugh that passed her lips, her golden eyes sparkled.

All too soon the performance had reached its end. Alva remained on stage and Oberon and Titania left. Chuckling she looked at the audience. With a commanding voice she took over the stage and delivered the final speech. _"If these shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumber'd here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream."_

She took a seat on the stage, crossing her legs. _"Gentles do not reprehend: For I am an honest Puck. And if we have unearned luck, now to ' scape the serpent's tongue, we will make amends ere long. Else the Puck a liar call." _

Alva stood and bowed to the audience _"So good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends. And Robin shall restore amends."_

The actress pulled something from her pockets; it looked like dark green dust. She threw it onto the ground, and in a cloud of ivy leave, Alva vanished from the stage. The audience roared with applause. Owen could only stare; there was something very non human about that little magic trick at the end. There was something very, very familiar about that Alva woman, something too familiar.


	2. The Seal of Oberon

The cast returned to the stage, and they all took their bows. When Puck took her bows, she was met with a roar of hoots and thunderous applause. It was no secret to anyone who was the audience's favorite among the cast. With a last bow, the cast disappeared backstage, their laughter bouncing on the walls of the alcoves. Mr. Xanatos smiled as he stood; he himself had enjoyed the performance. He liked the arts very much, it was one of the many reasons he had invested some money into this old theater. The actors that gathered here were hard workers, and their passion for the stage was immeasurable. He did feel bad that Fox decided not to come, and wanted to spend time with Alex at home. However she would have the pleasure of meeting the cast at the party he was hosting within a few hours.

Straightening his jacket, both David and Owen left their seats. As they entered into the main hall of the theater, they were greeted by a good sized crowd. The cast had come out to meet with the audience. Owen glanced around, and found Alva leaning against the wall, watching the cast greet their family members. After a couple seconds her eyes locked with Owen's they both measured and sized each other up. The playful tone of Puck was no longer in her eyes, they were mischievous but not in the way of the famous trickster. Her eyes held a dark, almost cynical tinge.

Breaking eye contact, she was gone suddenly. Owen looked around and caught sight of her as she made her way toward what could only be the dressing rooms. This Alva was a…very interesting person. As she walked, Alva pulled her hair forward and began the process of braiding. Seeing something on the back of her neck, Owen zeroed in. His mouth nearly hit the floor. At the base, in what seemed to be centered at the only bare space of skin, what looked like a birthmark, was the seal of Oberon. This woman, this child was a blood daughter of Oberon. Now Owen could see what was so familiar. She looked almost nothing like her father, but in the way she carried herself. It was as if Owen were seeing the shadow of his master

Owen, being a character with simple emotions, Puck only allowed a minor smile to adorn his face. So, this was what his master had been doing for a small portion of the exile from Avalon. He had fathered a half breed. So there were two very powerful half bloods in the world that Owen knew of. He was curious if Oberon was even aware that he had a daughter. Would revealing her existence to him be safe?

Pondering these things, Owen smirked slightly. What would be his reward for showing this girl to Oberon? Perhaps, the return of all his powers which sounded like a splendid incentive, with a slight smile Owen followed Mr. Xanatos to the car. He would have to keep an eye out for Alva while at the party. Get to know her, find a reason to keep close. Another question crossed Owen's mind. Was this woman even aware of what she was, of what she could do?


	3. Magic off Stage

The party was rather interesting. Owen stood off to the side of the Xanatos family. Alex stood close to him; the boy was around five years of age. The family spoke with a few different people. Most of the conversation focused around the arts. So it couldn't be viewed as terribly dull, but it was enough to bore the five year old.

Alex strayed away from Owen's site, which caused the usual placid man to have an inner panic attack. He ended up finding the boy at the window, looking at someone in a silk navy dress and silver heels. It was Alva; she was looking down at the boy smiling sweetly, a glass of champagne in hand. Kneeling down, she put the glass on the table next to her. She looked around and then back at the boy. Placing the fingers of her right hand in a pinching motion, she began to pull something from her skin. Owen's eyes widened a little, what she pulled from her skin was a small blue flower. Ruffling Alex's hair she handed it to him. The boy was ecstatic, he grabbed for Alva's arms, wanting to show her what he could do. Alva eyed him carefully, letting him have her arms. Alex closed his eyes and pressed the flower onto the woman's arm with the palm of his hand, he pulled away, and the flower had sunk back into Alva's flesh.

Alva stared, at first in horror. But that changed before Alex took notice. Alva's frown disappeared as soon as it had come. She graced the child with a sweet smile. Laughing, Alex happily ran off. Leaving Alva in quite a state, she looked at the infinite number of party guests. Owen watched as she picked up her champagne glass and downed the drink in one gulp. She left her designated spot and basically ran off, taking the glass with her, putting it on a serving tray as she went. Owen adjusted his spectacles, a slight smile on his face. There was no doubt now, the girl knew she was different from the average human. Tricks like that took several years to master. Alva must have known for several years

Owen straightened his coat and followed her, weaving through the crowd at a safe distance. Damn, she was quick. He had only reached the middle of the room, and she was just about to walk out the door. "Alva! Come here and meet Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos!"

Alva wield round, her eyes were wide. Owen raised an eyebrow. She was afraid? Now why would she be afraid? Bowing her head for a second, Alva looked back up. A pleasant smile was fixed on her lips now, masking any other emotion she may have been experiencing. She moved away from the door, and made a bee line for the producer and director, who were standing next to Fox, Mr. Xanatos and, Alex. Alva looked down at the boy, giving him a wink to accompany the smile on her face. Owen made his way over to stand behind the boy.

Alva stared at him, studied him closely. Shaking her head, she focused her attention on Mr. Xanatos and Fox. When she spoke her voice sounded different, calmer, it was however deep for a woman's. But it wasn't a masculine tone, but it showed she enjoyed having control in her life, Owen could almost taste the pent up anger just by hearing that voice. Inside his head, Puck smiled 'now who could she be so mad at?' "It's an honor to meet the man my employers' speak so highly of Mr. Xanatos, and also a pleasure to meet your beautiful wife, and your adorable son…" Alva looked at Owen again. "I do apologize but I don't believe we have been introduced."

Owen stayed emotionless; Alva's smile dropped a bit. "My name is Owen Burnet, but you may call me Owen if you must."

Eyeing him up and down, Alva extended her hand, which Owen shook. Her fingernails dug into his hand. Her eyes filled with suspicion "Pleasure."

She relinquished her grip. Alva was all smiles again. "Well, I should be going. I have a rehearsal tomorrow. So I shall bid you all a good night."

Mr. Xanatos moved forward. "Do you have a method of transportation?"

Alva nodded. "I'll take a taxi."

Fox jumped in. "Why don't you let Owen drive you home Ms. Eltsina. Taxis are hardly safe."

Alva was about to object, but a stern look from her director kept her mouth shut. Nodding she smiled gratefully. "That's very kind of you Mrs. Xanatos. I must think of a way to repay you."

Fox smiled. "Don't even think on it Ms. Eltsina." Turning Fox gestured to Owen "Owen would you please be so kind as to drive her home?"

A perfect opportunity to observe the girl, Owen nodded and proceeded to leave. Alva seemed to hesitate for a moment. She was uneasy about this man; everything about him put her on edge. Shaking her head, she followed her unwanted chauffer out the door and into the night. Playing the usual gentleman, he opened the passenger door for Alva. Not even making eye contact, Alva stepped in, swiping her skirts out of the harm's way as Owen closed the door. She eyed him as he got into the driver's seat.

Adjusting his glasses, Owen looked at her. "If you want me to take you home, you'll have to tell me where you live."

She blinked, his gaze made her shudder. His eyes seemed so dead, but she saw something. Something dangerous, a hidden trick, a concealed threat, without so much as a word, she threw the door open and stepped out of the car. This man was a danger to her, she could feel it. Alva basically ran down the sidewalk. Mr. Burrnet stepped out of the car. "Excuse me, Ms. Eltsina, I was under the impression I was to drive you home!"

With a snarl, she turned. "There is no way you are going anywhere close to where live!"

Owen blinked, well he didn't expect this. "Do I frighten you Ms. Eltsina?"

Alva's eyes narrowed, he may have no emotion in his voice. But she has a sense of being mocked, this Owen Burrnet was not who he said he was. Something was very off. Backing away, Alva's hand shot out, hailing a cab. None of the passing cars stopped. Rolling her eyes, Alva turned and focused her attention on spot in the road. A good sized root breached the concrete, it was neither big nor small, and it was enough to halt a moving cab. The taxi driver was freaked, but he didn't question Alva when she stepped into the passenger side and handed him some money. As she said the address, Owen watched her lips. Reading them, getting exactly what he wanted.


	4. Vendettas

As the cab drove away, Owen slowly made his way to the car. He couldn't help himself, he was curious, and poking a bit around Alva's home could give him more information about her. Following the cab at a safe distance, Owen managed to find what he had wanted. The taxi pulled up to the curb near an almost rundown apartment building, Alva stepped out, fingers clutching at the folds of her dress, keeping it from skimming the ground. Turning she handed over some cash, and spoke with the driver. Quickly she turned and ran into the building; Owen saw a light go on at one of the upper levels. Alva could be seen from the barred window, and then she was out of sight. He watched as the blue dress was sent flying, she reappeared seconds later, dark hair pulled loose. Then she was gone again, the lights were shut off. Alva came running from the building, wearing black slacks, a black dress shirt, black heels, and a black apron.

Well it wasn't surprising; working as a stage actor didn't exactly bring in money, so a second job or perhaps a third job was required to avoid living on the streets. Once the cab was out of sight, Owen turned off the ignition and got out of the car. In one arm he held a knee length woman's jacket, which belonged to Alva. She had left it behind in her haste.

With a slight smirk, Owen made his way into the main entryway of the apartment building. It wasn't exactly clean, but it was halfway decent. Meaning that it was dirty, but there were no cockroaches throwing up outside the building. When he walked over to the front desk, he was met by a girl with bubblegum pink hair, and a bull ring in her nose, her face buried in a dog eared copy of Twilight. Owen rolled his eyes 'teenagers had no taste these days' he thought. She didn't look up from the so called book until a couple minutes had passed. Finally she glanced up over the pages, eyeing the man before her, 'what a stiff' she thought. "Can I help you?"

Owen nodded. "Yes...Ms…" he glanced at the young lady's name tag. "Nova, I just dropped off a woman by the name of Alva Eltsina. But I'm afraid she left her coat in my car."

Nova looked at the coat, and then put her book down "You her boyfriend or something?"

In a state of awkwardness, Owen adjusted his glasses "No, of course not."  
>Nodding, the pink haired teenager remarked bluntly. "Yeah, I figure you weren't. She likes them artsy types. You look like you'd be a bore in bed. Last time Alva brought someone home, I could hear them going at it all…"<p>

That was more than Owen cared to know, though of course Puck was slightly intrigued. "Look, can you please call her, so that I may return her coat."  
>Shrugging, Nova stepped out from behind the desk. "Sorry bud, but Alva just left; I can give you the spare key to her room."<p>

'Too easy' Puck thought, laughing inwardly as Owen took the key from the stupid woman after getting the room number. Owen took the elevator up to the fourth floor. He found room 103 without any difficulty. With the spare key, he unlocked the door, turning on the lights as he went in.

Owen was greeted with a reasonably decorated living room; a small kitchen lay to the further corner. There was one hall that lay to the right, which probably led to the bedroom and possibly the bathroom. The walls were painted a woody auburn color. There was an olive green couch, with a black coffee table, which had a few random coffee table books. In front of the table was small T.V, and under the T.V were a stack DVDs and a few videos. Vases of dried and fresh flowers were scattered through the apartment. Nothing in this part of her living space interested him, there was nothing that hinted to what kind of person Alva was. Everything was neat, and unnaturally so, as if it were a façade.

Putting her coat on the couch, Owen went down the hall that led to the rest of the apartment. The bedroom was like the living room, simple and clean. Omitting the posters from past performances that Alva must have been a part of. Somewhat dejected, Owen opened her closet, not expecting anything. But he was pleasantly surprised by his find. The closet was a walk in, and instead of clothes, he was greeted by small table, laptop, chair, and the walls were littered with lists, photos, sketches, yarn attached to push-pin, which connected with an open locket that hung just over the laptop.

Entering the strange closet, Owen took in everything 'How pleasantly peculiar.' Puck thought, as Owen studied one of the pictures. His eyes widened, on it was what looked like a make-shift family tree, a family tree of all of Oberon's Children. Of course none of Oberon's Children were his by blood like Alva was. Some names were covered with post-its, all of them written on. Owen easily found Puck on the tree. His name was covered in post-its. Some of them saying yes, but then others were no. Some of the yeses had been scratched out. Looking at the rest of the closet Owen breathed out a dejected sigh. "So she knows."

The glitter of the locket on the back wall caught Owen's eye. Walking towards it, he studied it carefully. It was well crafted, he recognized the artisanship almost immediately, and it was Hephaestus's work. Though the God was ugly, his hands were graceful. He made beautiful things. Getting a better look, Owen took in the small photo that sat within it. Inside was a picture of Lord Oberon, and beside him, laughing and happy was a young woman with gold flecked eyes and short black hair. It had to be Alva's mother; he could see the resemblance right away.

Eyes wandering, Owen saw newspaper clippings. All of them hanging on the walls first was an article about the suicide of a twenty five year old mother. Next was an article about an abuse case, there was a picture this time. It was of a younger Alva, she was being carted away in critical condition, another picture next to it showed a man in handcuffs being forced into the back of a cop car. The articles next to those two did not tie in. One was about the whole incident where every person within New York had fallen into a deep sleep, which had been caused by Oberon himself. That had been a few years ago when Alex had almost been taken to Avalon. So far every article had been about incidents that involved either Oberon's Children or the Gargoyles. It was all very clear it seemed Alva was intent on finding the man that had abandoned her and her mother before she was even born. It seemed so obvious now, she blamed Oberon for her mother's suicide, and she blamed him for the abuse she suffered as a child.

Of course she hadn't figured out who her father was, but she was on the right track. According to the information she had gathered. After reading over several essays on how to slay a Faye, Owen was sure that Alva wanted revenge. She wanted her father dead.


	5. Stolen Items and a New Pupil

Turning his attention back to the silver locket, Owen eyed it. Extending his hand, he gently removed it from its place on the wall. It was slightly heavy, but the magic inside it made Puck buzz with excitement. For a second the trickster seemed to take over Owen's mind, causing him to stow the locket away on his person.

Without another look at the small room, Owen exited the closet, closing it as he went. About 5 minutes later, he was back in the lobby of the apartment building. Nova didn't even look up from her book as he exited the building. Inside Owen's mind, Puck was scheming. The locket he now possessed was the ticket to convincing Oberon of Alva's existence. Xanatos still possessed the mirror with which Demona used to summon him a few years back. He could easily call upon Lord Oberon, and present the locket to him. The thought drove Puck to take over yet again, causing Owen to allow a wicked smile to adorn his usual somber features.

However, Puck's eagerness had caused him to act irrationally. Stealing the locket had not been the wisest thing to do. Alva treasured that heirloom; she never wore it for fear of damaging or losing it. But, every night before she allowed sleep to carrying her away, she had developed a habit of opening the closet just to be sure that it hadn't been stolen.

The strange nightly regiment started a few years back, after her apartment had been robbed.. She had lost quite a few books and some other valuables. Alva had been distraught by the loss of her things, but relieved that the thieves seemed to have overlooked her closet. Alva strongly believed that her mother's old locket had some sort of protective charm…. She tried to avoid thinking about such things, a fat lot of good the protective charms did for her mother.

It was about 3 am when Alva returned home from work, her body stiff, and her hair frizzy and begging for a shower. Bleary eyed, she stepped out of the cab, after paying the driver. She slowly made her way inside the building. Nova was no longer at the front desk, her shift started at 7 am and ended at 12 am, with a few breaks in between along with days off on the weekends. So for the moment, the front desk was unmanned, and silent. Taking the elevator to her floor, Alva remained in a semi zombie like state. This lingered with her from the removal of her work clothes, to her bed time shower, to the bed itself. 'I'll check on the locket in a few hours.'

With that in mind, Alva closed her liquid gold eyes and instantly fell asleep. Tomorrow was her day off, seeing that it was Saturday, so she would have extra time to sleep in. As she slept, she dreamed. Alva always dreamed, there was never a night not accompanied by vivid dreams.

Tonight's show was of a strange forested place, potent with magic. So much so that Alva could feel her stomach clench, and her finger tingle with excitement. Everywhere she turned, she could feel the forest on her, observing her.

The air seemed to whip around her, going every which way. At times she swore she saw people dancing through the trees. She could have their laughter upon the breeze. Their laughter seemed to draw closer and closer, boxing her in. Alva began to spin around. Trying to gain some control, over herself and the situation.

Her breathes began to come out frantically, Alva was growing more and more fearful by the minute. Suddenly, something seemed to grab her. It spun around, meaning for her to face it. Alva attempted to keep her eyes trained downward; she had had dreams like this before. That thing always turned out to be either her mother's ghost screaming, or a towering elf like man with blue tinted skin and fathomless eyes. Either way, she had no interest in being reduced to a terrified child.

So, that in mind, Alva shut her eyes tight, attempting to steady her breathing. The thing seemed to have left, she hoped against hope that it had. But it was back suddenly. However, it seemed gentler. She felt wired fingers under her chin. Slowly lifting her head to look upward, biting her lower lip. Alva trembled, and allowed her eyes to open. What she saw was the last thing she had expected.

Alva found herself looking into a pair of coal black eyes. They weren't angry eyes of the tall man or the eye sockets of her mother's howling ghost. She had never looked into these eyes before. The eyes crinkled showing that the owner was smiling. Finally, Alva took in the rest of person. He was about a head taller than her, and male, with large pointed ears, pale skin, a wide almost wicked smile, and pure white hair down to his hips.

The strange elf like man continued to smile at her. Not relinquishing his grip on her chin. Gently, he moved her head to either side, studying her. Feeling unafraid, Alva yanked her head away from the stranger's grip, her eyes burning into his.

This didn't seem to upset this new character. The wicked smile still remained on his face. He began to walk, with a skip in his step. He circled Alva, continuing to observe her. Becoming slightly unnerved by the whole situation, Alva began to contemplate an escape, seeing an opening she made a run for it. Within a second, her path was blocked by the stranger. She attempted another made dash, but every time she was headed off. Becoming even more nervous, Alva began to back up as the man began to close the distance between them. Growing more anxious, she began to think in a more barbaric way. Alva could only focus on one goal, and that was trying to escape the attention of those trickster eyes and that wicked smile.

When he was within touching distance, Alva struck out at him. Intending to land her right fist to his jaw, however that proved futile. A vine shot up from the ground and ensnared both her arms. Alva was growing more and more afraid. The vines pulled her to her knees; she locked eyes with the apparition. He went down to her level, continuing to observe her. Finally, she gained her voice. "What do you want from me?"

Her voice shook, and cracked like a dying fire. The man rested his arms on his knees. He continued to smile "A reward for finding you."

That made no sense; she gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

Drawing to his full height, the stranger chuckled. He began to levitate a few feet off the ground. "You'll soon see."

That said the dream came to an end. It was like a swirl of wet paint being washed from the canvas with water. It blended and churned like an ocean storm. Then it all went white, like a naked piece of paper. Alva shot up from her bed, the sheets and blankets falling from her body. Looking at the clock, she saw that the time was 10 in the morning. Looking at her closet, her eyes narrowed.

Throwing the blankets back, she rose from the bed and ran to her closet. The door hit the wall with a slam as she threw it open. Her eyes narrowed when the glint of the locket did not greet her. Snarling, Alva put on a pair of jeans, some torn up pair of converse, and an old black cast shirt from the production of "Cats."

She walked into the dual kitchen, living room. She was about to grab her purse from the couch, but paused. Sitting on the arm of the sofa was her jacket. The one she wore to the cast party the night before. Alva recalled not having it when she exited the taxi. Her eyes widened. She had left it with Mr. Burnett; she had been in too much of a hurry to grab it.

Grabbing the jacket and her bag, Alva tore downstairs to the lobby. At the front desk, she found Nova, reading another vampire romance novel. Storming up to the desk, Alva threw her purse onto the desk top. Nova jumped about a foot in the air. Taking in the look on Alva's face, she cowered slightly. Trying to regain some control over her temper, Alva took a deep breath. "Nova, did you let someone in my apartment last night?"

At this, Nova's eyes widened. She was struck dumb for a short moment. "H-h-he only wanted to return your coat."

Sighing, Alva rubbed her forehead for a moment. "What did he look like?"

Nova thought for a moment. "He had blonde hair, blue eyes, glasses…"

Alva's ears seemed to perk. "Was he a complete stiff?" At this Nova nodded. Grabbing her purse, Alva left Nova without another word. Once outside, she hailed a taxi "Where to missy?" Looking at the man, she replied "The Eyrie Building please."

With that, the taxi made its way into the upper part of New York. When they reached the front of the building, Alva stepped out after paying her driver. "Thank you."

Closing the door, she watched the taxi merge into traffic. Turning on her heel, she entered the Eyrie building. Approaching the reception desk she was greeted by a common security guard. "May I help you miss?"

Seeing some of the cameras swiveling in her direction, Alva did her best to ignore them. "I was wondering if I could speak with Mr. Xanatos."

The receptionist, who sat next to the guard, glanced up at her. "Do you have an appointment?" Alva bit her lip. "No but…" She was swiftly interrupted. "Then I'm sorry, if you wish to speak with Mr. Xanatos you need to make an appointment in advance."

Gritting her teeth, Alva attempted to be civil. "Then can I make an appointment now?"

The receptionist didn't even look at her. "I'm sorry but Mr. Xanatos is booked for the next couple of months."

Gripping the edge of the desk top, Alva attempted to keep her voice down. "Look lady, this is very important, ok, so if you could get him or better yet his assistant down here, that would be peachy."

The guard's eyes jumped between the two women, as if he were in a tennis match. The woman behind the desk smiled at Alva, her eyes burning with malice. "I'm sorry miss, but if you wish to see Xanatos, then you are required to make an appointment."

Leaning forward, Alva hissed. "Then get Mr. Burnett down here, I have a bone to pick with that boring scab."

Pulling back, Alva folded her arms over her chest, intent on staying where she was. She could see she had struck a nerve in the receptionist. "Jason, would you please escort this woman off the premises."

The guard began to move out from behind the desk. Before Alva could take a swing at him, the guard grabbed her and forced her arms behind her back "Ms. Eltsina?"

Alva spun around, finding Mrs. Xanatos making her way toward the scuffle. Smiling with relief she breathed "Hi Mrs. Xanatos." The guard was at a loss of what to do. Thankfully, Fox was kind enough to give him an order. "Let her go, now!"

After he relinquished his grip, Alva pushed him away. "Sorry Mrs. Xanatos." Fox smiled. "Call me Fox please."Alva nodded and glared at the shocked receptionist. "I was here to speak to your husband on the matter of his assistant Mr. Burnett. But your receptionist said I needed to make an appointment."

Fox smirked. "Well I'm here now, why don't we go upstairs together and you can speak with him. Alexander will be quite pleased; he is rather taken with you."

Nodding, Alva followed Fox to the elevator. "So why do you want to talk to my husband about Owen?"

Alva's eyes hardened for a moment. "I left my jacket in the car last night when he took me home. I had to leave for my night job, and he came into my apartment to return it, and I found some evidence that he had been snooping around."

Fox seemed slightly shocked. "That's not like Owen at all."

The elevator came to a shuddering halt. Fox led Alva down the hall. "Yes well, I'm a very private person, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Opening a door to the right of the two, Fox let Alva inside. She was greeted with a large play room. Near the window, the young Alexander was playing with some kind of toy. Sitting in front of him was Mr. Xanatos, and behind him ever vigilant was Owen.

The two men and the boy looked up at the click of the door. Alexander instantly took notice of Alva. He gave her a huge smile, stood up and ran to her. Alva knelt down and gave the boy a hug of greeting. The boy attempted to grab at Alva's tattooed arms, wanting to play with the flowers and plants inked into her arms. Seeing this, Alva pulled her arms away quickly and discreetly.

Coming to her full height, Alva's eyes locked with Owen's almost instantly. She studied him for a moment, and noticed his hand was clutched around something, she could just barely see the glitter of her mother's locket. Looking at Mr. Xanatos, she stated calmly and coolly. "Sir, I believe you assistant has something that belongs to me. Fox stared at her. "Owen stole something from your apartment?"

Alva glanced at her. "I'm not accusing him of anything; it could be just simple misplacement of things. However, what he has is very precious to me."

Mr. Xanatos looked at his assistant, and then Alva. "I think its best that we leave you two to talk. Come along dear ones. We have places to go today."

It all happened so fast, within minutes Alva and Owen were left alone, once the door had closed. Alva was less than civil. "I'd like my mother's locket back please."

Owen stepped forward. He held out his hand, allowing the silver locket to dangle from his fingers. He didn't need it anymore, last night he had done what he had intended to do. Puck had been able to convince Oberon of Alva's existence. It didn't take much, apparently the girl looked so much like her mother, and it was hard for Oberon to not accept it.

However, Puck did not expect what had come. After he had explained to his Lord that Alva was not incompetent in the magic of Oberon's Children. His mast was impressed by some of the images and evidence of magic in Alva, Oberon felt that she required training, so as to not waste such talent. He had been disappointed in the fact that Fox never received proper training in the ways of the mystical arts.

Alva had been very lucky that Puck had omitted her intents to kill Oberon; otherwise she would have fallen down dead where she stood. Alva stepped forward, intending to take back her stolen property. But before her fingers could brush against the familiar silver, Owen snatched it away. "Hand it over, you son of a…" She stopped the insult in its tracks. When she looked up to glare at Owen, she was not looking into the dull blue eyes she had expected. They had shifted into a pair of laughing coal black eyes.

Backing up, she gasped. Alva recognized those eyes. It was the specter from her dream; and little did she know her soon to be teacher. The man smiled at her, as he began to float just a couple feet off the ground. Laughing he flew toward her, dangling the locket in front of her face. "Well? Don't you want it back pretty one?"

Trying to fight the urge to tuck tale and run. Alva made a snatch for it. But the man yanked it back, laughing down at her. "Aw you got to be faster than Puck. Come on, again!"

He flew around her, making her spin as an attempt to keep a careful eye on him. Puck landed in front of her. "You're, you're one of them aren't you?"

Puck chuckled, moving closer, he reached out a poked her nose causing her to shy away. "I' am one of many things! You need to be a little bit more specific."

Alva grit her teeth, Christ this guy was annoying. "You're one of Oberon's Children."

He nodded happily, and swept himself into a gentlemanly bow. "Puck, at your service, I enjoyed your portrayal of me the other night by the by."

The woman blinked, completely at a loss of what to say. "Cat got your tongue?" Puck quipped. Alva stared at him. "What do you want from me?"

Laughing, Puck flew around her again, pulling a back flip in the air as he did so. "You have no new material; you asked the same question in your dream last night."

This made Alva snarl, she attempted to charge him, but Puck flew out of reach. "So that was you!"

Giggling, Puck landed behind her. "The one and only, so what did you think of it. You're an actress of sorts."

Attempting to gain something on this annoying character, Alva smirked and gave a shrug. "It was a rather predictable dream; if I had been lucid I would have escaped with ease."

Giving her a careful look, Puck folded his arms over his chest, hovering just a couple inches of the floor. Raising an eyebrow he smirked. "Are you so sure, well then let us see!"

Alva had no idea what he was talking about, until he began chanting. "The young woman is so sure; so secure. Relive the night terror; let's show her, her error!"

The room shifted back to last night's dream scene. Alva felt two vines constrict her and drag back down onto her knees. Puck walked towards her, his eyebrows raised. He waited patiently. "Well, are you going to free yourself?"

Snarling, Alva closed her eyes. She needed to think, she very rarely fought with her powers. And whenever she did she relied on pure instinct to guide. Puck had used a rhyme to bring all this up, Alva was smart. "Binds unwind, set me free and unconfined."

To her complete and utter astonishment, the vines relinquished their grip. Smiling, Alva looked at Puck. Without any hesitation, she charged at him. But she was suddenly lifted up off the ground by yet another vine. Alva dangled upside-down, Puck shook his head. "You need to unwind, you're too tense."

Alva felt the vine release her, and she was sent head first to the floor. Getting up, she brushed herself off. Puck smirked at her, holding her mother's locket out to her. "You're in luck, I'm a wonderful teacher."

Snatching her locket, Alva snarled. "I don't need you, so bugger off!"

Turning, she ran out of the room and downstairs to the lobby. Puck watched her go from the window. She would be back, he didn't doubt that. Looking at his reflection in the window, Puck found himself hidden in the guise of Owen Burnett once again. He hated the fact that he was stuck teaching another child, but it was good to know that having a second student meant that he could spend more time as himself.


	6. Precautions

Slamming her back up against the stone wall of the alley, Alva clutched herself in an attempt to remain calm. Her body shook with anger and fear. He was one of those… those…monsters, one of those things that had so royally fucked up her life. Clutching the locket to her chest Alva returned to the lively streets, walking with intent towards a store by the name of "Raven and Crone." It was a small supply store, filled with things that were required in magical rituals. Most of it was shit, but in the past Alava had discovered some of the information, as well as the plants and herbs sold there were pretty legit.

The place smelled of Incense and dirt. It was a calming scent, and Alva welcomed it, inhaling it deeply with a smile. As the shop door closed with a jingle, the owner of 'Raven and Crone' glanced up from behind the counter. The middle aged woman had long blonde hair, and deep brown eyes. Her face showed evidence of experience through its many wrinkles and a few scars that refused to go away.

As Alva walked up to the counter, the old woman smiled widely, revealing a missing tooth on her bottom set of teeth. "Al! I haven't seen you in quite a while."

Nodding, Alva stood in front of the old woman. "Do you have anything that can protect against intruders?"

The woman's eyebrows disappeared under her graying hair. "Well that all depends on the intentions of the intruder?"

Nodding her understanding, "I been having problems with dreams, and I think this intruder has something to do with it."

Tapping her fingernails against her teeth, Rosemary walked out from behind the counter. "I think I have just what you need."

Alva followed the woman to the back of the shop, where the herbs and plants could be found. For a short moment, Rosemary picked through the many tubs of varied magical plants. All the while mumbling to herself "Aw, here they are." Turning Rosemary waved two different plants between her fingers. "What I have is Anise" She indicated the small collection of white flowers. "These are to be placed under your pillow to ward off nightmares."

Alva took the flower gently and gave them a sniff. "As for the intruder, I think the best you can do is use braids of sweet grass. Hang them, unburned around your windows and doorways, and you should be safe."

Smiling, Alva grabbed a couple plastic bags, stocking up on the plants. "Thanks Rosemary."

Rosemary went to stand next to the Alva. "Are you going to tell me who the intruder is?"

At this, Alva paused. "You already know the answer to your question… Why do you even bother asking?"

Shrugging, the old woman returned to her place behind her counter. "Al, I really wish you would tell me what troubles you. We've known each other since your mother passed."

Alva's lower lip twitched. "Rose, please don't pull that card on me."

Seeing the flash of anger in the liquid gold eyes, Rosemary sighed. "I'm sorry Alva; I have no intention of upsetting you. You're just so closed off, tense, angry. It's not healthy."

Throwing down the two bags of Sweet Grass and Anise, Alva gave the woman a stern look. "I'm not angry, I'm just driven…. How much?"

Weighing the bags, Rosemary replied "Ten dollars."

Pulling out her wallet, Alva handed the store owner a ten dollar bill. "Have a good day Rose."

She was out the door before the old woman could return the courtesy. Sighing, Rose placed Alva's money into the cash register "You too, Alva dear."

Night fell upon New York several hours later. Bringing with it the shushed wing beats of the Gargoyles, and the usual nitty gritty night life. Alva returned home from a short evening on the town. Her body was sore from a combination of a few drinks and dancing at the local club. Throwing her jacket onto the couch, along with her purse, she began her nightly regimen.

Feeling refreshed and clean, Alva started to work on braiding her stash of Sweet Grass, after about an hour of tedious work, she had managed to finish. Standing up, Alva walked about her apartment, silently hanging the grass across every possible entrance to her home, taking extra precautions in her bedroom.

She could be found sitting Indian style on the floor in the middle of her room. "On this night, as I sleep tight. Grant me protection in my selection. Let my dreams be without screams, only divine without a whine."

Standing, Alva draped the grass braids across the sill of her bedroom window, and then on the door to her room. Nodding her satisfaction, Alva checked on her mother's locket, confirmed it was there, and then allowed herself, to be carried away into the realm of sleep.


	7. Untroubled

A week went by, and in Alva's opinion. It had been nothing but pure bliss. She managed to get through her night shifts without a single bit of trouble, her dance classes were going swimmingly. And she was working stage crew for a Broadway production of 'Dracula', which meant she would be receiving some cash in the a couple weeks when the show went up.

Alva also managed to keep her nights clear of fevered dreams, and the so called Puck had not been making a single attempt to communicate with her. However, he was still on her mind. He had made the offer to teach her a trade. The more she thought about it, the more useful it sounded. Alva had never been able fully develop her abilities. Despite their use, Alva was terrified to push herself.

Shaking her head, Alva stepped onto the city bus. Shouldering her gym bag as she went, smiling at the thought of releasing a bit of her pent up stress in dance rehearsal. Taking a seat, she pulled her IPod out from the pocket of her sweatshirt. Turning it onto shuffle, Alva let her head fall back on the seat. She had until the second stop to rest up, before she was joined by some of her fellow dancers

All too soon the second stop was made. Stretching, Alva opened her eyes, and greeted the five people that clambered around her. Smiling Alva exchanged hugs with all of them. She spent the rest of the ride swapping stories about the theater life. Every single one of them had some sort of involvement with the stage productions in New York. Some of them painted sets, some acted, while others worked the lights. "I still can't believe that you managed to get a spot on the Dracula crew, do you realize how lucky you are?"

Looking into a pair of innocent blue eyes, Alva smiled. "It's not that exciting, I needed the money."

Linda waved her hand, dismissing Alva's reply. "You get to see the show every night, and they pay you to watch!"

Alva's dance partner leaned forward. "Linda's a vampire enthusiast."

At this, Alva broke out into a fit of giggles. "You're shiting me, Ms. Blonde hair and Blue eyes likes blood sucking vampires?"

"Go fuck yourself Scott!" Linda bit back. At this he winked at her "With pleasure doll face. I hope you like handcuffs and whips."

"Scott, really Come on!" Alva put her hands over her ears. "No one wants to hear about your freaky fetishes!" Smirking, Scott leaned forward, grabbing one of Alva's hands, whispering in her ear. "Oh you know you like it, if I remember correctly you were screaming for…"

All the dancers shrieked in disgust. "SHUT UP SCOTT!"

After a long pause, Alva pulled her hands away. "Is it safe?" Receiving a nod of confirmation from Linda, she let her guard down. "Remind me why I work with you again?"

Scott stole a glance at his dance partner, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Cause you like me for my body."

At this, Linda smirked. "He has a point Al; you and he are the only ones who can do the freaky free style junk; if I ever tried those flips on Jeremy over there… I'd kill him."

Scott stretched out his arms and wrapped them affectionately around his dance partner. "Told you so" Glancing up at the silver stop cord, Alva snared her fingers and yanked. The bus came to a screeching halt, which sent the over touchy Scott right over her head. Lying down in Linda's lap, the elfin girl pointed a finger and laughed. Thoroughly enjoying the look of anger and embarrassment set of the self proclaimed Romeo's face.

The driver was none too pleased with Alva's antics. In a flurry of angry cursing, he kicked the troupe off the bus about five blocks away from their destination. Alva was still giddy with laughter, despite the scathing looks thrown in her direction, from Scott especially. The side that the petite dancer displayed on the bus of a rare experience for them, normally she was very withdrawn. But sometimes she would randomly attain the mind of childish trickster and play practical jokes, not caring if her larks caused anyone bodily harm.

Linda seemed to be the only one who shared in Alva's pleasure of putting Scott in his place. He was way to full of himself. A good knock to the end was what the bastard needed. Finally, the group reached Starver Dance Studio, the humble abode to underappreciated background dancers and slowly budding stars.

As the collection of dancers were about to descend the steps into the studio, they were suddenly interrupted by the calling of a name "Alva!"

Said lady turned, and bowled over by an unidentified flying object with strawberry blonde hair. The two crashed to the ground, while the rest looked on bemusedly. With the wind knocked out of her, Alva looked down and saw little Alexander Xanatos hugging her torso. She started laughing, and detached his arms. The two stood and Alva gave the boy a hug. "So my competition is pint sized?"

Giving Scott a scathing look, Alva looked down at Alex. "Alex, what are you doing here alone?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm not alone; Owen's taking me to the park."

At his name, Owen seemed to appear out of nowhere. Alva's jaw set and she began to grind her teeth in irritation. Masking the malicious look on her face, she smiled down at the boy "How fun."

She just barely caught the trace of a smirk on the assistant's face. "Indeed, young Xanatos has been looking forward to this outing for a while."

Focusing her attention of Alex, Alva ruffled the boy's hair. "You guys should get going then."

Alex's face lit up suddenly, he grabbed Alva's arm and attempted to pull her down the sidewalk, in the direction of the park. "Come on, come with us!"

Hearing snicker from Scott, she gently pulled her arm from the boy's grip. "Sorry hun, but I've got dance rehearsal."

The boy's face fell, the look was practically heart breaking. Biting her lip, Alva's eyes skirted over to Owen. He appeared to watching her like one would a rare insect. Shaking her head, going against her better judgment, she extended an invitation. "You know, you two are welcome to sit in a watch us practice, and we can go to the park after words."

Alex lost all traces of gloom, he ran over to Owen, puppy dog eyes at the ready. "Can we Owen?"

Please say no, dear God please be strict. Alva begged inside her head as she watched Burnett mull over the offer. Looking up he gave her a careful once over. He could almost taste the begging in her mind, she was praying to anything that he would say not to the invitation, she was terrified of him. Slowly he nodded, and looked down at Alex. "I don't see why not."

The boy whooped with happiness and hugged him, while Alva's face fell slightly. When Alex turned to look at her, the frown had transformed into an ecstatic smile. "Alright, why don't you go with Linda downstairs, and she'll show you around."

At her words, Linda gave Alva a scathing look, through simple eye contact, Linda decided it was best not to argue. Taking Alex's hand in hers, she took him downstairs. "Come on kid, we'll leave the grown-ups to talk." The rest of the dancers followed, all except Scott, who glared angrily at Owen.

Noticing that the assistant's attention was focused elsewhere, Alva glanced over her shoulder. Scott moved to her side. "Want me to stick on babe." Rolling her eyes at the word 'babe,' Alva shoved him in the direction of the stairs. "Just go, will ya, and I ain't your babe."

Once her partner was out of earshot, Alva turned and grabbed Owen by the tie, dragging him into the alley. Tossing him at the wall, she paced in front of him. Like an enraged wildcat. "What's the deal Burnett?"

Adjusting his askew tie, Owen played innocent. "Whatever do you mean Ms. Eltsina?"

Stopping, she stuck a finger in his face. "You know exactly what I mean, what're you doing here?"

Raising an eyebrow, the assistant, pushed the accusing digit away. "I was merely taking Alexander to the park; it was purely coincidental that we ran into you."

Brushing a hand through her hair, Alva turned away. Slowly she glanced at him. "Will you quite with the 'stone cold push over act' I know what you really are."

Finally, she was graced with a display of emotion. Owen smirked for a moment and replied "If you insist Ms. Eltsina."


	8. A Whirl Wind Mind

His figure glowed for a brief second, not to bright to draw attention to alley, but just enough to force Alva to look away. Feeling a light tap on her shoulder, she looked around, only to find herself alone in the alley. A murmur of irritation escaped her. "I don't have time for games."

Alva's voice echoed through the alley. At the sound of high laughter, she looked up and spun around. Above her, sitting in midair was Puck. He smiled down at her. "Games are what make Oberon's Children, I'm surprised you don't share this trait, straight as a razor's edge, no time for fun."

Flipping over onto his stomach, Puck rested his head on his palms. Rolling her eyes, Alva flushed a shade of red. "Stop fooling around!" Funny, he could almost hear a hint of the master's voice in her. Wagging a finger at her, he cooed. "Oh you're no fun."

Having enough, Alva grabbed one of his arms and yanked him down to earth. "I'm plenty of fun, just not around you."

This earned her a pout "And why not?"

"Because you irritate the living shit outa me" Landing briskly on his feet, he circled her. "You seem to have enough time for practical jokes with dancer boy."

Alva scoffed. "Scott? Are you kidding? He's a pervert, I just work with him."

Moving behind her, Puck played with the loose strands of her hair. "It would seem that you've done more than work."

Slapping his hand away, Alva turned on him. "What do you know?"

Laughing, Puck danced away from her. "I've been in your mind enough to see some of the goings on… Naughty naughty little Alva!"

Gritting her teeth, she hissed. "It was a onetime thing. Not that it's any of your business."

Tapping his chin, Puck raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's my business now, considering that I'll be teaching you."

"I didn't say anything about teaching!" God! All she wanted to do was wipe that smug look off his face. He was so full of himself, and here she thought Scott was the worst, but now this guy made him look like a humble saint.

"Don't you want to hone your abilities? I know they terrify you." Alva clenched her fists. He continued. "I mean you can only keep control for so long." From the recesses of the alley, vines started to creep inward. Smirking, Puck nodded toward the plants. "See what I mean, you don't even know what you're doing."

Glancing around, Alva caught sight of what her anger caused. Taking a deep intake of breath, she calmed herself. The vines halted their growth and receded to the shadows, out of sight. She kept her eyes focused on the ground. Smiling in satisfaction, Puck floated above her. Rest his chin atop her head. Snarling, she ducked out from under him. Stomping out of the alley, shaking his head, the Faye descended to the cement, calling after her. "You're just like your father!"

Alva froze mid step, and whirled around. Eyes wide with shock. "Excuse me?"

He had her; the look on her face confirmed it. Turning away, Puck began to walk away. Alva ran after her. "Wait! What did you say?"

Slowly, the Puck looked over his shoulder, and pointed at himself. "Me? I said nothing."

Before he could go any further, Alva caught his shoulder. "You- you said something about my father."

Turning fully, the Faye plucked her hand off his shoulder. "Did I? Hmm, I wasn't aware… Though I must say, you and he have a shared lack of humor." Alva made an attempt to look threatening, standing on her toes in the hopes of intimidating Puck. This did nothing, except make her look foolish. "Who is my father?"

The Trickster rose into the air, resting his head in the open palms of his hand, fingers drumming playfully on his cheeks a sly smile adorning his thin features. "I don't think I'll tell it would ruin the game."

Alva's eyes blazed, like wild fire. Her hair shifted like a billowing cloud of raging smoke. She wasn't as powerful as the Puck, but this display of anger was enough to put him ill at ease. She was her father's daughter after all. The girl's voice had lowered an octave, and hissed past her teeth. "This isn't a game Robin Goodfellow." She paused and then looked him full in the face and screamed the last bit. "I order you tell me what I want to know!"

She was indeed Oberon's daughter, she had his quick temper. Puck did not take orders well, be it from his Lord and Master, or a common half-blood, like the child that stood before him. Slowly he righted himself and landed at her feet. Standing to his full height, he towered over her. Though Puck was never one to be easily angered, he still managed to intimidate.

Taking her face in his hands, he held her there gently. Keeping her eyes focused on his. She didn't shrink away from him, her anger and desire for vengeance kept her from standing down. The Trickster's fingers dug threateningly into her skin. "Who are you to command me, huh? I answer to no one."

Ripping her face from his grip, Alva made her threat. "If you don't tell me, I'll kill you."

That was laughable. "Ha! With what, if I remember correctly, you are not a hundred percent sure on how to kill creature of the Third Race."

Alva was rendered quiet, he was right. Despite all the time she devoted to finding a full proof method of killing something of the Third Race, she was nowhere close. Puck at her by the neck, grinding her teeth in frustration, Alva turned and made her way out of the alley. The Trickster called for her one last time. "Allow me to teach you!"

The offer was growing more attractive; the dancer paused and looked at him. "Why are you so eager to teach me?"

Puck, for once in his life, was at a loss for words. However, his silver tongue brought him from limbo. "I merely hold an interest in teaching those who require it."

At this, Alva smirked. "Yeah right, I've done a lot of research on you Puck the Trickster; I was you only a few weeks ago. You don't do things out of the goodness of your heart…. No, you do them if there is something in it for you."

Shrugging, Puck smiled. "Perhaps after more than a thousand years, I've turned over a new leaf?"

For the first time in a long time, Alva smiled. A full real smile, not the one she wore on stage or for parties and friends. Puck had managed a small feat, in only a few short days of knowing her. "We both know that's a load of shit…. In the mean time, I'll accept your offer. Come to my apartment tonight, after I get off work, and we can get started."

This threw the Trickster; early she detested breathing the same air as him. Now her mind had suddenly changed. Of course, despite not having contact with her kind, this was the mind a child of Oberon. It was like a wild and sly wind. Swirling, and shifting every millisecond. Alva left Puck in the alley, returning to the hallowed halls of the Dance studio.

Owen removed his glasses from the safety of his shirt pocket. After cleaning the lenses thoroughly, he put them back on, adjusting them until they appeared straight. With the click of his well polished shoes, he left the scummy alley, and went downstairs to join Alex in watching the dancers.


End file.
